Running With the Pack
by The Shadow of Light
Summary: Stiles feels left out and useless, until Derek presents an intriguing opportunity. Sterek Slash.
1. Chapter 1

Derek ran through the forest on all fours, skimming across the top of the dead, brown leaves, moving at much less than top speed, and even still he was moving so fast he was just a breeze through the trees. He did this a lot, not having much else to do, especially before he met Scott and Stiles and his pack. He enjoyed running and working out, trying to make himself better in any way. It gave him a rush, and it took his mind off its troubling thoughts.

As he ran, he knew exactly where he was going. And he knew exactly why. He'd known for a while. But he wasn't ready to admit it to himself yet.

When he reached Stiles' house, he stopped outside Stiles' window, knocking on it. Stiles had been using his laptop on his bed when he heard a sudden knocking on his window, and from outside, Derek could hear a shocked noise and a series of other noises, followed by a loud thud. Derek rolled his eyes, knowing Stiles had fallen off his bed. He definitely did not share Scott's and Derek's grace of style.

A moment later, Stiles suddenly appeared at the window, looking ruffled. He pulled it open and stared at Derek. "Don't you know how to use a front door? I mean, I know wolves don't have opposable thumbs, but I think you know how to use a doorknob," he went on sarcastically. Derek tilted his head, giving Stiles that look that made him uncomfortable. "Just come in," he said, stepping aside. Derek stepped inside simply, standing in the middle of Stiles' room as Stiles closed the window back. "So, what's up?" he asked, looking at Derek. It had taken a while, but Stiles and Derek had slowly become good friends in the past few months, though he usually didn't come over unless he needed something.

Derek shrugged. "Are you busy?" Stiles shook his head, "Well not unless you count..." He glanced over to his laptop, sitting open on his bed, "Uh, never mind." He hastily closed his laptop shut. Derek raised an eyebrow, giving Stiles a look, but then he simply shook his head and sat down backwards on a chair in the corner of Stiles' room, crossing his arms across the top of it. Stiles wondered how he always looked so cool, no matter what he did. He sat back down on the edge of his bed and they were both silent for a moment. "So… I've always wondered what you do all day by yourself… With Erica, Isaac, and Boyd at school, and with you kind of being an outcast in this city…"

Derek shrugged, "I keep myself busy somehow… I have some books I've collected over the years. And I don't always stay at home. I may not have any friends, but I go into town now and then…" Stiles nodded, "Well you know, I'm sure Scott and I wouldn't mind keeping you company if you ever need it…" Somehow, he knew that had always just been assumed, but he realized they'd never really established a friendship. Derek nodded in response. "Yeah… thanks," he said, "Somehow, I don't see hanging out with me being Scott's favorite pass-time though." Stiles smiled, "He could suck it up if I made him," he commented simply. Derek raised an eyebrow, "Oh can he? Is that a challenge, or do you know from experience?" he asked quietly, a slightly joking undertone to his voice, one that Stiles had never really heard before.

Stiles laughed, a little surprised at Derek's response, but glad to see that he was opening up—and that there was more to him; there was a nice, normal young man underneath the tortured soul.

Suddenly, Stiles felt something on his leg, and he looked down to see Derek's knee touching his. Derek didn't notice him looking down, or he'd have moved. He didn't realize he'd scooted closer and was now touching Stiles. Stiles ignored it, looking back up, "Hey, you wanna go check out my car?" Stiles asked suddenly, not sure of what else to do. Derek lifted his eyebrows, "Sure." He knew Derek liked cars, as it was one thing that he had spent a lot of time doing in his solitude, and he wanted to hang out with Derek, but couldn't imagine them doing normal activities like going to a movie or a party.

As they walked out of his room to the garage, Derek had his hands in his pockets, walking close to Stiles, though Stiles didn't notice until Derek's shoulder and arm suddenly brushed against his. It seemed Derek almost didn't notice for a few seconds, as they continued walking, their sides touching, until Derek finally murmured, "Sorry," and stepped away a few inches.

Stiles opened the garage door and showed Derek all the ins and outs of his new sports car, Derek nodding here and there. Stiles watched as Derek lifted the hood and poked around, smiling a little from behind him. Just as he was finishing, he saw his dad's patrol car coming down the street. "Oh shit, you should probably go," Stiles said suddenly, and Derek nodded, and before Stiles realized it, he was gone.

Stiles went back up to his room, sitting down at his desk and bringing up the internet to play some games. As they were loading, he began thinking. He had never noticed before… but now that he thought about it, it occurred to him that Derek had been lingering around Stiles a lot lately… not just hanging out with him more, but seeming all around closer, literally, to him… He closed the game, and went to a search engine.

His fingers lingered over the keys, the way they would before someone who had never looked up porn would hesitate the first time. "This is crazy…" he muttered under his breath, but then he typed into the search bar, "wolf courtship". He clicked the first link, and read the words hastily.

_"… When the two are about to mate, they bond, sleeping close and touching each other more and more. They will approach each other making quiet whining sounds, mouth each others' muzzles, touch noses, and bump their bodies together. There may be mutual grooming and nibbling of each other's coats and the two may walk pressed close together..."_

Stiles closed the window, and leaned back in his chair, running his hand through his hair with a deep sigh. There could be some other explanation… But deep down, Stiles could feel a sudden warmth and burst of excitement—in hopes that he was right. His blood pumped faster as he came to terms with the possibility…


	2. Chapter 2

The next afternoon after school, Derek sat on Stiles' bed, reading a book. Stiles had been sitting at his desk using his computer, but then he turned around and sat backwards in his desk chair, his arms crossed and resting on top of it. Derek came over almost every day now while his pack hung out with their friends. He just wasn't much like them. But Stiles, there was something about him… Even though it seemed like they didn't get along sometimes. Derek would never admit that he actually liked Stiles and wanted to be around him sometimes. He was just… not good at showing affection since the fire, since he was betrayed lost everything, and especially since he was turned—learning to block everything out, for his sake and for others'... But he was learning how to have friends again now with Stiles.

Derek stared into the book he was reading, studying it thoroughly. He glanced up, one eyebrow raised, as he noticed Stiles hadn't spoken or moved in a while. Very unusual for him. "What?" Derek asked, looking back down at his book.

Stiles was staring down at the floor, thinking—one of his many talents, though many people never realized—mostly due to his ADHD. "Just something I've been thinking about for a while… nothing really." He sat quietly for a moment, and Derek looked up at him, pausing from his book this time. Stiles looked back at him. Derek had this power… it was in his eyes—when he looked at you, it was like he was staring through your soul… A quote he'd heard once came to mind_… "The gaze of a wolf reaches into our souls…_" (Barry Lopez). Derek's gaze suddenly compelled him to share now, "It's just… Everyone's special now…" Stiles murmured, "And I'm just normal. I'm boring and plain and… simple. And next to you guys, I'm weak and pathetic…" he explained, looking down at the ground, resting his head on his arms.

Derek sat quietly, and then after a moment, he shrugged, "I don't think you're boring," he said simply. "Normal among a group of special makes you special after all, right?" he asked, turning his head sideways to look at Stiles. Stiles gave a small laugh, and Derek gave him a half smile in return.

Stiles' smile slowly faded though, and he looked down at the ground again. After a moment, Derek shrugged, "Look… I would've told you this sooner, but I thought it was obvious… You're always welcome in my pack." Stiles looked up at him, "But… I'm not a werewolf." Derek shrugged, "So? You don't have to be _like_ us to fit in with us."

"But… I'm in Scott's pack right?" It was more of a question than a comment. Derek gave him a half smirk, "I meant a _real_ pack," he commented in the usual tone he had when he was being sassy, obviously joking, but Stiles knew he was also kind of serious. Stiles smiled back, "I mean… I can't leave Scott's group. I'm his best friend. I already have somewhere to belong…" Derek put his hands up, "Hey, you're the one who said you wanted to be special…"

Stiles sighed, "I don't know what I'm saying…" he murmured. Derek raised his eyebrow, "Well okay then," he said, shutting the book closed and placing his hands on his knees, standing up off the bed. "Speaking of my pack, I told them to meet me so I gotta go."

Stiles watched him go, lifting his chin from where it rested on his folded arms, but as Derek opened the window, Stiles said, "Wait." Derek turned around, looking at him. "Can we just… Can we stop pretending like this isn't here? I mean I know you're this big sexy, strong man that women would, and do, stand in line for, and I'm sure you don't want to ruin that impression but… I just wish you'd stop pretending you didn't feel something for me and make a move or something…" he murmured, trailing off. He had no idea what he was getting himself in to.

Derek stood still for a moment, but his expression did not change. He slid his hands into his pockets. Stiles didn't look up at him. He just tapped his foot in the restless way he did. "You think I have feelings for you?" Derek finally asked, quietly and simply. Stiles still couldn't look up at him. He was always one to push boundaries and ignore social norms, but this made even him a little nervous. He'd been feeling things around Derek for the past few days, but never thought too much of, but after the previous day, they were really brought to his attention—and now he'd acted on an impulse, not too uncommon for him. "Well yeah…" He put a hand behind his head, rubbing his neck doubtfully.

"Well I don't," Derek said after a pause. Stiles looked up at him now, not expecting that answer. Though he really wasn't sure what he was supposed to expect… "What… do you mean?" he asked. He just couldn't be wrong. Suddenly, he was desperately hoping he was right… Derek lifted his eyebrows simply, "I mean I don't. And neither do you. So now that you got that out of the way… We never have to mention it again." He began to turn around before Stiles interrupted again, "Wait," he said again, and Derek stopped reluctantly, sighing. "Are you sure…? I mean… I know I'm not the best looking guy in the world, or the smartest, or the coolest…"

Derek interrupted him, "Stiles. I'm not attracted to you—not because you're not attractive. Because I can't." Stiles furrowed his eyebrows, "What…?" he asked, suddenly very curious. Derek was silent for a moment, trying to decide if he should explain himself. But then he reminded himself it was Stiles—he could always trust Stiles (who couldn't?) and he deserved an explanation anyways. Derek looked down, "I was trying to avoid this because it's really… weird and it's hard to explain... I know this sounds silly, but that would make you the 'alpha female', so to speak… And I don't want to put you in that position… All that responsibility. You'd have to devote your life to it… Not to mention… you'd have to be one of us."

Stiles was quiet for a moment. Inside, he wasn't even sure if he believed Derek at first, all this "alpha" stuff… Everyone around him now was talking about wolves and packs and stuff that sounded crazy to him—he had _human_ things to worry about… But he saw the seriousness on Derek's face, and heard it in his voice… So he sat still, giving himself a moment to take it all in. But finally, he sighed deeply, running his fingers through his hair like he did when he was thinking or stressed. Whatever he was expecting, he _definitely_ wasn't expecting that answer… "Well… Who said I don't want that responsibility? Isn't that my decision?"

Derek was quick to answer. "No." It was simple and definitive. His mind was made up. "Wait a minute, doesn't this sound like the perfect opportunity for me to be like you…?" he asked, looking up into Derek's eyes. Derek stared back, complete sternness in his eyes. "Stiles, have you honestly never thought about this? Don't you realize that I don't _want_ you to change? I don't want you to be like me. I like you the way you are… human and simple and plain. You're perfect…" Stiles' heart skipped a beat. He never thought he'd hear Derek say this—and definitely not to him. He thought _Derek_ was perfect and beautiful…

After a long moment of slightly uncomfortable silence, Stiles looked down at the ground, "But… What if I wanna be with you?" he murmured quietly. Derek looked up at Stiles slowly, not expecting Stiles' response, "You know Scott would hate that…" he said simply. Stiles shrugged, "I dunno. He may not mind." But deep down, he knew Scott would be unhappy. Still, Scott was his best friend, and he knew he'd understand. "Look, Derek, you may not be Scott's alpha, but that doesn't mean you're not mine…"

Derek sighed. "Are you sure…?" he asked, secretly delighted inside that Stiles felt that way, but also sounding a bit annoyed that Stiles was being so stubborn and didn't understand what Derek was trying to say. "Yeah… I think so," Stiles answered exasperatedly, staring at Derek, "Do _you_ want me to be with you?" he asked unsurely. "Uh…" Derek wasn't sure how to answer. It wasn't like he'd ever thought about this before. "I think so too," Derek answered quietly. Stiles sat still, and Derek stood still, neither sure what to do from here.

"I gotta go…" Derek said quietly.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow I guess… If you wanna come by I mean…"

"Yeah, sure," Derek answered, turning to leap gracefully out the window, landing perfectly. Stiles stared out the window at him. "See ya…" he muttered to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Stiles laid on his bed, studying a text book, when he heard a sudden soft thump on the roof outside his window, a sound that used to startle him but that he knew all too well now. He looked over to the window as Derek slid it open and stepped inside. "Hey," Stiles greeted. "Hey," Derek replied. Derek walked over toward Stiles' bed. "What did Scott say?" Derek asked, knowing Stiles would understand.

"I uh... haven't told him yet…"

Derek just looked at him. "You know you're going to have to some time," he pointed out in his frank tone. "I know…" Stiles admitted. After a moment's pause, Derek sat down on the bed next to Stiles, a bit unsurely. He turned his head slowly to look at Stiles. Stiles looked slightly unsure himself. "So… How are Erica and Isaac doing…?" he asked—noticing that making casual conversation suddenly became much harder for them… "They're fine…" Derek answered. Stiles nodded in response.

After another moment of silence, Stiles spoke up, "So um… so my dad said he won't be home until eight so—just so you know…" he sputtered, regretting it a bit after he said it, as he felt suddenly very nervous and embarrassed.

Derek tilted his head and raised both his eyebrows at Stiles, "Are you suggesting something…?" he asked.

"Ah—I… um…"

Derek watched Stiles for a moment, simply enjoying his embarrassment, his expression still straight and reserved. Without thinking, he leaned a little closer to Stiles. Stiles leaned closer to him in return, and Derek suddenly noticed where the situation was going. But just as he did, Stiles touched his lips to Derek's, and Derek no longer hesitated.

With his lips still glued to Stiles', he reached his arm out and shoved all of Stiles' books and papers onto the floor in one swipe. Stiles was too distracted to even give him a sarcastic remark. Derek placed his hands on Stiles' waist and lifted him into the air, lying him down on the bed on his back gracefully.

He then wrapped his arms around Stiles' head, digging his nails into Stiles' hair, which was growing longer. Stiles suddenly lifted his arms, wrapping them around Derek's back and gripping him tightly, tangling his legs around Derek's also. He lifted his head up and pushed back against Derek, kissing him forcefully and flipping him over suddenly. He pulled back and Derek stared at him. "Sorry, Adderall…" Stiles murmured with a small, apologetic smile, "Think I might have taken a little too much this morning…" "Riiight…" Derek whispered. He flipped Stiles back over, sprawling on top of him, assuming control again, as only seemed natural. Stiles couldn't see himself topping the beast that was Derek.

Derek rubbed his nose against Stiles' for a brief moment, in a motion that seemed almost unconscious, but Stiles found it to be very sweet, and then he took the bottom of Stiles' shirt, lifting it over his head smoothly, tossing it in the corner of his room. He stroked his hands down Stiles' smooth and toned chest, beginning to nibble Stiles' neck lightly, careful to be very gentle on Stiles' human skin.

Stiles couldn't understand how Derek's mouth felt so amazing on his skin, but he wanted more. He closed his eyes, and breathed out a shaky breath. Derek stroked his lips over Stiles' chest, opening his mouth and letting out a low, satisfied growl, which vibrated against Stiles' skin and made him grab onto Derek's shirt, pulling it over his head, and then placing his hands flat on Derek's chest.

Derek's tongue made its way gracefully across Stiles' skin, and Stiles rested his head against Derek's soft black hair, running his fingers through it and grabbing hold of it every now and then. When he tugged on it, Derek gave a growl deep from his chest—a growl that said he liked it.

Derek lifted his head, and Stiles came face to face with Derek's glowing red eyes and sharp, shining fangs. "_Oh_ my God…" Stiles startled and jumped slightly, looking down. Derek laughed, but it came out sounding so sexy, mixed with a wolf-like growl.

With that, Derek trailed his lips down Stiles' stomach, letting his lips stop right on top of Stiles' bulge. "_Holy hell_…" Stiles breathed quietly. He never would have imagined Derek would be like this, but then he thought of a time when Derek must've been the hottest guy in school… that on top of the animalistic instinct and confidence that coursed through his veins only made Stiles more excited.

He reached down slowly and put his palm on Derek's bulge in return. Derek groaned, and then bucked into Stiles' hand. He pulled Stiles' pants off slowly, throwing them all the way to the other side of the room as well. All that was left were Stiles' loose gray boxers, tight around his rapidly growing manhood, which Derek now took hold of lightly, squeezing gently. Stiles moaned, and his back arched. Derek's breath was stronger and heavier now, as he grabbed the top of Stiles' underwear, and then pulled down slowly, releasing Stiles' member. Stiles watched Derek as his tongue traced the tip of it very lightly, teasingly. Stiles gasped, gripping the covers. Derek loved Stiles' noises, and his reactions.

When Derek pulled back, Stiles gazed into his bright red eyes for a moment, and then he reached down and slid Derek's pants off.

"Hmmm… No underwear," Stiles said with a small smile. Derek gave him a big smirk. "I like it…" Stiles whispered. "Good…" Derek growled even quieter than Stiles, and laid his hips on top of Stiles', letting their members rub together as he thrusted against him. Both of them made gasping noises, moaning over and over. "Oh God Derek…" Stiles murmured hoarsely.

Derek grabbed both their members and began stroking, agonizingly slowly. Stiles' breathing became irregular, and Derek breathed unevenly. "Mmmm…" Derek sighed. His hand was soaked from their leaking members. After Stiles couldn't handle it anymore, he whispered, "Derek please… Please…" He wasn't sure why he was begging; he'd never imagined himself doing that before, but he just felt like it was his place… like it was natural…

Derek stared into Stiles' eyes, lowering his head, "What?" he asked in a husky voice.

"Just do it…" Stiles groaned, feeling himself growing wetter and wetter.

"Do what?" Derek asked in an equally rough voice. "Stiles…" He placed his lips against Stiles' incredibly hard manhood, "What do you want me to do?" he asked, as casually as if nothing was going on.

Stiles made a choked noise, "Fuck me, Derek!" he demanded finally, his member trembling.

Derek gave one final, defiant growl, before sitting up on his knees, pulling Stiles' spread open legs forcefully to him, placing his manhood against Stiles' entrance. He rubbed his again to get it slick and then pushed it in slowly.

Stiles closed his eyes and gripped Derek's hair tightly, pulling Derek to his bare, damp chest and making him groan deeply. He gave it a moment, and then he began thrusting in and out, rhythmically, but again very slowly, as if he enjoyed torturing Stiles. "God Derek… Yes…" Stiles moaned.

Derek was not as Stiles would have imagined—not that he had ever really imagined it before (heh…). He was somehow animalistic, as Stiles would've guessed, but at the same time, he was strangely gentle, passionate, and loving beneath the animalistic desire. It was perfect… Stiles could not have imagined a better lover…

"Faster… faster!" Stiles begged. Derek sped up gradually, and finally he was moving at a speed that set Stiles' body on fire. He was tingling inside, and he knew he wouldn't last long. Derek was _so good_… He wanted to do this forever. But the way Derek was going, there was no way. "Derek… It's so good… I'm close…" Stiles murmured, almost incoherently. But it was clear as day to Derek, and he breathed in Stiles' ear, his lips around them, his teeth biting down gently. Derek faught against himself every second—in fact harder every second—not to turn… His heart rate was flying, but if anyone had mastered lycanthropy, it was Derek. His eyes glowed red of course, and his nails and teeth grew a little sharper, though he fought back the rest.

Stiles had brought his hands up to grip Derek's beautiful, tan skin, feeling every strong muscle on his back move as he thrusted into Stiles. Stiles' head fell back on the pillow, eyes closed. He was not feeling anything except the heat building intensely. He dug into Derek's back, his nails leaving marks, and Derek didn't even seem to notice the pain—but he did react to the wonderful feeling of Stiles digging into him. Derek grabbed Stiles' manhood and stroked it, moved both his hips and his hands as fast as he could now, and Stiles flew over the edge so fast he barely had time to react. He felt everything tighten and then felt himself explode, shooting all over Derek as he yelled Derek's name. Derek leaned down to bite Stiles' lower lip, muffling him a little, though not because he didn't love the sound of Stiles' amazing scream of pleasure. Stiles bit back, harder than Derek, but then Derek hit his climax, and bit down hard onto Stiles' lip, a little stream of blood trickling down Stiles' mouth. Derek let out one final growl—almost purely animal this time—though it was mixed with Stiles' name.

Derek lay panting on top of Stiles for a moment as they caught their breath. "Oh. My. God… Remind me to do that with you more often…" Stiles said, seemingly still lost in another world. Derek smiled, "Oh I will…" he murmured, his warm breath on Stiles' face.

After a moment, he rolled off onto his side, still cuddled against Stiles' body. "Sorry…" he panted, "I can't help… being so close to you… It makes me feel… like I belong…" Stiles' heart skipped a beat, and he knew this was where he belonged, because there was no way Derek would say anything like that in this world or the next to anyone that he didn't truly mean it to…

"'S okay…" Stiles murmured, leaning his head against Derek's shoulder, "I like it too… Kinda has the same effect on me…"

Derek smiled to himself… He couldn't believe he was here like this. Maybe it wasn't what he had always envisioned for himself, but in some ways it was better. They laid against each other, silent for a long while, just enjoying the feeling, Stiles thinking of how he'd never felt so safe in his life, and Derek thinking of how he had never opened up like this—never enjoyed life so much… An incredible feeling of hope washed over him, something he hadn't felt in so long, that only this small, human, teenage boy next to him could bring.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a warm morning in Beacon Hills, peaceful and calm. Scott was driving Stiles to morning practice, as they rotated from time to time. Scott eventually noticed that Stiles hadn't said anything the whole ride. He had merely been looking ahead at the road, listening to the radio in silence.

"What's up…?" Scott asked, glancing over at him.

Stiles looked back at him. "You know… breathing, living… kinda important," he answered, subtly sarcastic.

Scott gave him a look. "But you're quiet… You're never quiet."

"Man, what is it with you people? Can I not just sit and be quiet for a while?" he asked exasperatedly.

Scott lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah… You _can_. But you _don't_."

Stiles sighed. "Okay then… You asked. How would you feel about me being in Derek's pack?" he asked questioningly, turning his head to look at Scott.

Scott shrugged, assuming it was just a rhetorical question. "Um… I don't know…" He really wasn't sure how to answer that, seeing as it was so sudden and he'd never even thought of it before. Stiles lifted an eyebrow, "So you wouldn't be upset…?" Scott looked at Stiles, eyebrows furrowed, "Why…?" he asked, confused.

"Because… Derek asked me to. Well… not really." Scott stared back at him, glancing back at the road every now and then, but his eyes growing wider in shock as Stiles tried to explain. "He told me that he didn't want to put me in that position, give me that much responsibility, being his… partner and all, but I told him that I wanted to." Scott stared, eyes wide open, "Wait _what_? His _partner_? Stiles, are you gay…?"

Stiles shrugged, "Well I thought you would've caught on by now… being my best friend…"

"Well, yeah, I mean you've always seemed a bit… debatable at times to me, but I thought that was just the way you are."

"Well apparently, the way I am is gay, or bi maybe. But that doesn't matter. It's just that… I know you're going to say I'm crazy—honestly, at this point, I'd have to agree with you—but I just… have this weird feeling that I can't explain that makes me feel like I belong with him. And I don't know why, but he sees something in me no one else has…"

Scott couldn't believe the serious tone Stiles was using to talk to him. And he couldn't even focus on the major shock from Stiles telling him he and Derek had _feelings_ for each other—so ignoring that, he went back to the other pressing topic, "Join Derek's pack? Are you crazy?" he exclaimed.

"I'm still going to be here with you—in your pack. But it's not like I'm really useful to you… being human and all…"

"Stiles, it's not a status thing. I'm not an alpha, not a real one. I don't want a pack; I don't need one. I just don't understand how my best friend could want to be with Derek… Remember all the things he's done…? Remember how he's treated me—_us_?"

"Scott, he's never done anything wrong. He always has good intentions. He just tries to do what's right…" Stiles suddenly realized just how much he understood Derek. He paused. "I may be with him more, but I'm still your best friend. You'll still have me just as much as ever."

Scott sighed, "I know. Sorry… I was just kinda shocked I guess. I've never really considered Derek a 'friend'… But I could get used to it. I mean it's your choice…"

"Thanks, man," Stiles replied.

Scott focused back on the road, and Stiles turned the radio up, feeling better as he let the sun warm him through the windshield. He glanced over to Scott. He knew Scott would be in a kind of shock around him for the rest of the day, maybe longer, but he was probably already too busy thinking about Allison. Sometimes Stiles was thankful for Scott's simple, one-track mind.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Sorry it's so short... I just wanted to put this conversation in somewhere... Another chapter soon :)**

"Tell me you told him," Derek said, looking at Stiles with raised eyebrows. They sat on the steps of Derek's disheveled porch—Stiles had insisted they do something other than sit in his room today. Though Derek had pointed out that "there's not much of my house to hang out in."

"Well he was a little shocked at first, but after he got over it, I think he handled it fine. It's just going to take some getting used to."

Derek looked ahead at nothing in particular, seeming to be somewhere else, thinking about something… After a moment, he said, "You know… You're the only one I've ever known that I don't feel… dominant to… that I don't feel the urge to control…" Stiles tilted his head slightly, "What do you mean…?" He didn't understand all this wolf stuff like Derek or Scott did.

"Let me try to explain it this way… Every time I'm around people… I just feel confidence. That's all, never any hesitation—that's why I seem to act so compulsively, you may have noticed. I can't help it. That's part of being an alpha—my natural instinct is to overpower, or protect, everyone around me, so I always feel in control of everything and everyone, and overwhelming confidence follows me. It's actually kind of annoying sometimes… But when I'm around you, I don't feel that way. I don't feel like I need to control you, and I don't feel confident all the time… You make me nervous, Stiles." He ended by looking right into Stiles' eyes. Stiles had actually never seen this part of Derek. It made him feel warm inside beyond belief. "Do you know the only other wolf that an alpha would feel that way about…?" Derek asked.

Stiles shook his head, kind of at a loss for words at the moment.

"His mate," Derek answered, leaving it to soak in. It was a heavy load to drop, especially on someone like Stiles, someone who was somewhat foreign to all the pack feelings.

"Okay so… define 'mate'…" Stiles said after a moment.

Derek gave him a look. "You _know_ what that means, Stiles.

"Sorry, sorry… You know how I handle these things. I'm not good with big news…"

Derek couldn't help but give a small smile, "Stiles. I know. It's okay."

Stiles smiled back. They may not have _looked_ like one of those sweet, tender couples in the way they acted, but deep down, they both somehow knew they felt that way. They had an almost animalistically deep and profound bond. It was an amazing, indescribable thing for Stiles… It was even kind of amazing for Derek, who had known what to expect, having been a wolf for so long. They were both leaning back on their palms, their hands only inches away. Stiles slid one finger out, touching Derek's hand, and Derek looked slowly down at it. His hands were larger, stronger than Stiles', but Stiles' were smoother, while Derek's were callused and rough, scarred and scratched from his battles. They sat there for a while longer, talking, never moving, their hands gently touching.


	6. Chapter 6

It was three o' clock in the evening, and Scott was headed to Derek's house. Derek had called a meeting with Erica, Isaac, Boyd, and Scott, so that they could continue their search for the alpha pack, looming in the woods surrounding them, waiting for the right moment to strike and putting all the wolves on edge. Scott had agreed mostly because he knew it would keep Allison safe.

As he approached Derek's house, he saw that Stiles was there too. Of course. Stiles and Derek were almost inseparable now. They were standing on the porch, while the others must've been inside. When he was barely within earshot, he let out a grunt, "Uugghhh, Stiles, you smell like… Derek," he said questioningly after a pause, smelling him even before he could see him.

"What? Oh yeah, uh, Derek said that would happen…" Stiles commented, not wanting to go into further detail. Derek's scent was now marking Stiles, now that he'd… "claimed" his mate. And like a wild animal, like a male who had won victory over all the other males, Derek gave a small chuckle and a smug smile, as if he were proud of it. Scott's eyebrows furrowed at Derek's odd expression. But being a wolf meant reading all the subtleties of other wolves, and having an almost mind-reading connection; also since he'd become a wolf, he'd been able to understand other wolves on the deeper level they communicated without ever having been taught about it. Scott understood. He could feel it in the air, smell it all over both Derek and Stiles.

"Have you been screwing my best friend?!" Scott growled, his eyes glowing bright yellow.

"Scott. Calm down," Derek said calmly, simply, the way he did in urgent situations. He always knew how to handle things. He chose not to answer Scott's question—as much as he wanted to rub it in just to annoy Scott, he knew it would unfortunately most likely lead to Scott losing his temper entirely and hurt one or both of them for no reason. Scott merely growled back in return—he tried to turn back but he was too far gone already. "You need to calm down," Derek said, lowering his head so that his eyes were even with Scott's, glowing a deep red. Scott growled back, pulling his lip up to show his fangs, not intimidated by Derek's display of authority. He was a rogue, a lone wolf, not afraid of anyone.

Scott closed his eyes, forcing his diaphragm to move slower, breathe deeper. Derek stood his ground, but did not approach. "Scott…?" Stiles murmured, speaking up for the first time, sounding a little shaken up by the almost-fight between his partner and his best friend. Scott lifted his head slowly, his fangs disappearing, "I'm fine…" he muttered, his eyes returning to their normal brown color.

Stiles stood in his place and watched them both breathe slower, calming down. "You guys done?" he asked suddenly, in his oddly serious yet sarcastic voice, "With the glowy eyes and the creepy growling noises…"

"For now," Derek murmured under his breath, still eying Scott. Scott narrowed his eyebrows, but simply walked away, standing in front of Stiles. "Stiles, I respect you, and your choices, and I trust you…" he turned to look at Derek, "But I'm not ready to trust him yet." He wouldn't admit it, but it wasn't just trust as much as their differences and their dominant personalities clashing. He turned to walk away, until Stiles shouted, "Where are you going?"

"Home… I'll see you in school tomorrow," Scott replied before he shifted and disappeared from sight in mere seconds, on all fours.

Stiles rubbed a hand through his short hair, sighing deeply. "Well that's great…"

Derek walked back toward Stiles, "He'll come around. You know his temper."


	7. Chapter 7

Derek sat in a chair in Stiles' room, Stiles in his lap. It had started off with a tutoring session in chemistry (science had always been Derek's favorite subject, and one of the only he ever cared about), but Stiles had very, very quickly gotten distracted by Derek's sexiness—which was not hard to do. And things went downhill from there. But like Stiles had said, "it's never 'just studying'."

Derek kept kissing Stiles' neck and shoulders, Stiles clenching Derek's shirt at his hips tightly in his fists, moaning over and over. Derek grinned, letting his fangs sharpen as he scraped them along Stiles' tender, soft skin, with so much control it made Stiles shiver.

"You know… We're gonna have to do this at some point…" Derek murmured, "If you've already made up your mind about this…"

"Do it…" Stiles murmured, "Do it now…"

"Are you sure?" Derek whispered, "You're ready?"

"Depends on how you define 'ready'…" Stiles remarked. "But do it, just do it," he finished, closing his eyes in expectation. He turned around so he was facing Derek, eyes deeply longing.

"I'm going to do this as painlessly as I can… I won't make it too deep… And it'll be fast…" He waited for a moment, so he'd catch Stiles off guard, and then he plunged his teeth into Stiles' arm, targeting an area that would cause minimal pain and bleeding.

"Aaaggghhhh!" Stiles shouted through his gritted teeth. As Derek pulled away, he placed his hand in front of Stiles' lips for him to use, and Stiles bit down hard. Derek winced at the sudden sharp pain, but he didn't move. He placed his hand on the back of Stiles' head, and pulled it down to his chest, holding Stiles to him to try to comfort him. It worked. Stiles had never felt so safe or comfortable than when he was in Derek's arms…

Stiles whined for another moment, but he sucked in a deep, shaky breath, staying strong like he always tried to. He grunted, opening his slightly watering eyes. He nuzzled his head into Derek's stomach as he breathed in and out. Derek knew this would only make Stiles better—he always saw the bite as a gift, after all. But it just felt so wrong changing Stiles in any way—especially in such a big way… He held Stiles tightly though, knowing it would all be better soon…


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I have a few ideas of what to do from here, but none that I really like... so if you have any, feel free to message me :) Otherwise, I think I'll just end here.**

Stiles lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Derek had wanted to stay with Stiles for the next few days, with him through the change, but seeing as Stiles' dad didn't know about them yet, he resorted to coming over as much as he could. They had a few hours each day after Stiles got home from school and before his dad got home from work.

Tonight in particular though Stiles got lucky. His dad was working on a major case, and told Stiles he would probably pull another all-nighter at the office. It was dark outside, but Stiles wasn't sleepy. He hadn't been sleepy all day—he had barely slept since the day before… Everything felt so different… He was super aware of his surroundings, and he saw, heard, and smelled everything… making sleep impossible. And that was besides all the adrenaline—he'd wanted this, just like Jackson. And he got it.

Stiles looked to the window suddenly, hearing a noise approaching his house. As Derek approached the window, Stiles was already there, staring at him. Derek smiled as Stiles opened the window. "You know, I'm gonna miss sneaking up on you…"

Stiles smirked, walking up until he was only inches away from Derek, both of them leaning in towards each other, as if by some intangible force. "Your heart's beating so fast…" Stiles murmured, an amused smile on his face. It was weird being able to sense these things… But he liked it even more than he'd imagined. Derek gave him his brilliant, flashy white smile, and it made Stiles' heart beat faster. They leaned in and Derek placed his arm around the back of Stiles' head, bracing his neck to place a gentle kiss on his lips. Stiles melted in his arms, wrapping his arms around Derek's shoulders and leaning into him.

They drifted toward the bed, and Derek pushed his shoulders down onto it, lying on top of him. Stiles gave a quiet happy sounding growl from his chest, as Derek leaned down, kissing his face and then his ears and then his neck. Now that they were both wolves, they shared the bond equally, so it was even more profound than before. They were connected mutually, by the ties that only a wolf pack could ever understand.

Derek continued to kiss him tenderly, pushing Stiles' shirt down lower and lower to kiss his smooth chest, his soft lips and tongue making Stiles' heart rate fly. But Derek was so lost in the feelings that he wasn't even thinking about what that would mean for him… But then he looked up into Stiles' eyes. They were a gorgeous, seemingly endless, deep, dark, solid black. Derek got lost for a moment, his gaze locked on Stiles. Stiles stared back at him, his heart still racing, as Derek snapped out of his trance, and stroked Stiles' cheek with his nose. Derek glanced down, and saw Stiles' nails growing longer, then looked up at his face and saw his shining white teeth growing sharper. Derek couldn't help but think how sexy Stiles looked… how much he wanted to dig into him…

But he tilted his head in, his lips touching Stiles' neck lightly, "We should probably stop… Until you can learn to control this…" he whispered softly. Stiles could only manage a quiet growl. Derek looked into his eyes, his own glowing bright red. He leaned up, away from Stiles, though still straddling him on his hands and knees. They remained this way, staring at each other, until Stiles' breathing finally slowed and his eyes faded back to their usual dark brown color, his nails and teeth returning to their normal length. He sighed, "Sorry Derek…"

"It's not your fault... I just didn't want you to try to kill me," he added, whispering in Stiles' ear. Stiles gave a small smile, "Yeah… that would definitely ruin my day…" Derek gave him a look. "Well… yours too I guess…" he added teasingly.

Derek rolled off him, "Still Stiles…" he murmured. He sat at the edge of the bed as Stiles leaned up on his elbows, big, curious, brown eyes following Derek as usual. "That's good to know…" he finished, looking back at Stiles with a small smile. Stiles got up and sat on the edge of the bed next to Derek, leaning his head on Derek's shoulder. They were always touching now, practically inseparable. It was getting harder for them to be apart. Stiles would lie on his bed, unable to sleep or study or do anything else but long for Derek's body to be touching his. And Derek would sit in the stairs of his old crumbling house, just waiting for a chance to go see Stiles, to feel the warmth of his body, and his heart…

"I guess I should start working with Scott, huh? About keeping my heart rate under control…" Stiles paused, "Wow, I'm definitely seeing some payback in the future… Dammit, I knew I shouldn't have thrown those balls so hard…"

Derek nodded, "He'll help you… and I'll teach you about us… Just remember, you're in _my_ pack," he whispered, placing his hand on Stiles' thigh and gripping it lightly. Stiles in haled a sudden, sharp breath at the feel of the older boy's warm hand.

Derek smiled. "Come on," he said, running and leaping out the window. Stiles stood at the window, not sure what to do at first. Derek turned back to look at him, "Just jump."

Stiles nodded—he was never very graceful or agile, and it was hard to trust that he would be able to do the things Derek could do now. But as he leapt out the window, he landed right next to Derek's feet, on all fours, without trying, not even sure how he did it. He looked up at Derek, who was smirking down at him.

Derek leapt into the air, landing on his hands, running off into the night on all fours. Stiles followed him as if he knew exactly what he was doing and he'd been doing it his whole life. He ran next to Derek, keeping pace right next to him. It was amazing… He saw the trees rushing by, as if he was in a speeding car, but he was on his own hands and feet… though he could barely feel the ground. The wind flying past his face nipped at his skin… but he wasn't cold. He felt perfectly warm inside. He was beaming, being like this with Derek… It was so much more than he'd asked for…

Derek finally stopped, almost a mile into the woods, and Stiles exhaled loudly, "Woo!" he smiled widely, "Wow that was a rush… I can't believe—I just—that—just amazing! I mean I—I—I—" Derek placed his hands on Stiles' lips, as Stiles held his breath, "Hmm. ADHD werewolf… This will be fun."

Stiles exhaled deeply, then took a deep breath. "Sorry… I'll try to behave."

Derek lifted an eyebrow, "Hmm… But bad dogs are so much more fun…" he murmured with a mischievous smile.

Stiles looked at him sideways, eyes narrowed, "Dog jokes…? Really?"

Derek laughed quietly, "Sorry… that was really bad…" Stiles covered his eyes with his hand and shook his head, mockingly ashamed of Derek.

Stiles, still smiling widely, fell back onto the soft forest ground, looking up at the infinite stars above. Derek sat down next to him, one leg extended and the other folded to his chest, one arm resting across it. Stiles crossed his arms behind his head. "This is so awesome…" he murmured. Derek couldn't help but feel the happiness radiating from him—and it made him happy. He leaned back, laying his head across Stiles' chest.

"You know… You really smell so wonderful…" Stiles said, nibbling on one of Derek's ears.

Derek gave a quiet moan, "Hey watch it…" he said, letting his hand rest dangerously close to Stiles' crotch.

Stiles grunted suddenly, then said, "Okay, it'll be _your_ fault if I try to kill you. Just for the record…"

Derek gave a small, quiet laugh—more than he used to give Stiles' jokes. They lay there, just listening to each others' heartbeats and the sound of each others' breath, for a long time… Stiles closed his eyes, soaking in the feeling of belonging.


End file.
